Sale of Henry Pigott's Island Home Sealed Cape Lookout Seashore, Ending Portsmouth Village Era
In 1967 Henry Pigott sold his Portsmouth Island house to the federal government, retaining a life estate that let him stay until his death, making him the last male resident of the historic village.
As the federal government moved to protect the barrier islands of eastern North Carolina, Henry Pigott negotiated the sale of his 1902 yellow wooden house on Portsmouth Island in 1967, receiving a life estate that allowed him to remain there until his death. The transaction facilitated the creation of Cape Lookout National Seashore while honoring the rights of long-time islanders. Pigott, a Black mail carrier, guide and craftsman born on the island in 1896, continued to tend his home, deliver mail, and assist hunters and the few remaining residents, Marian Gray Babb and Elma Dixon.
He died in January 1971, ending the presence of a permanent male inhabitant in the historic settlement. The two women left later that year, rendering Portsmouth Village completely uninhabited for the first time in more than 200 years. The 250-acre historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and the National Park Service, together with the Friends of Portsmouth Island, restored the Pigott House and other structures, turning the site into a living museum accessible only by water.
Why it matters
The story shows how a personal land deal helped preserve a unique coastal heritage while marking the end of a centuries-old community.
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